Jesus the Christ chapter 10...
2 Kings 1:8
Matthew 3:1-5
Leviticus 11:22
Mark 1:1-8
Luke 3:2
Exodus 3:1-2
1 Kings 17:2-7
Isaiah 40:3
Malachi 3:1
Matthew 11:10
Luke 7:27
Matthew 3:11
Matthew 3:7-10
I've met many people, who boast the laurels of their ancestors, believing this sets them apart and above. Yes, the actions of pioneers were noble, but they don't make the descendent noble. This is what John the Baptist preached to the posterity of Abraham. Yes, they were a chosen people, but ONLY if they chose the religion of right living. "...faith, which is vitalized belief, in God; genuine repentance, which comprises contrition for past offenses and a resolute determination to turn from sin; baptism by immersion in water at his hands as the hands of one having authority; and the higher baptism by fire or the bestowal of the Holy Ghost by an authority greater than that possessed by himself," Jesus the Christ, Talmage.
So...do I chose the religion of right living? I want to say yes, but I fail so much. In saying that, I guess I can say I do chose the religion of right living. With me it requires plenty of repentance, contrition, and resolution. While the saying that God don't make no junk, may be true, it is also true that he made me far from perfect. That's what this life is for: I get to turn my natural interior of a sour lemon to a sweet peach. Last weekend a relative with advanced Alzheimers came to visit as well as my 5-year-old granddaughter. While she looked at him as an authority figure, he acted like a spoiled child, leading her into all manner of naughtiness. Did I act sweet, gentle, and long-suffering? Hardly! When I was squeezed my sweet demeanor changed and out came a steady stream of sour, bitter lemon juice. Boy do I have some repenting to do...But...that's what makes this religion so wonderful and beautiful and hopeful. God can change my nature from lemon to peach with my permission and my persistence. I wish He would hurry.
